A Bhimashankar-Manchar road accident in Pokhari Ghat, Pune district, killed two people and seriously injured four others after an Eeco vehicle plunged into a valley on Thursday, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. The vehicle was travelling from Ghodegaon towards Bhimashankar when the driver reportedly lost control, causing it to fall into the valley and overturn several times.
The deceased were identified as driver Dnyaneshwar Govind Gawari, 41, a resident of Dhagewadi, and an unidentified woman estimated to be about 70 years old. The report said the woman was believed to be a local resident, but her identity had not been established at the time of publication.
The four injured passengers were identified as Kanchan Sandip Kengle, 35, of Jambhori in Nandurkichi Wadi; Yogesh Devaram Bhange, 26, of Tambe in Junnar; Shivaji Maruti Damse, 60, of Kondhwal; and Subhadra Pramod Kengle, 40, of Jambhori. All four were reported to be seriously injured.
The vehicle, an Eeco bearing registration number MH 14/KW 2091, was owned by Goraksh Rakshe of Dimbhe. The passengers were local residents from the tribal area, linking the crash to a route used for movement between settlements and the Bhimashankar region.
The vehicle was reportedly badly damaged in the fall. Residents from nearby villages reached the site after receiving information about the crash and helped with the rescue operation. Ambulances later arrived, and the injured people were taken out of the valley with assistance from local residents. Zilla Parishad vice-president Vivek Walase Patil also reached the site with workers and participated in the relief effort, the report said.
The injured were initially taken to Manchar sub-district hospital and Ghodegaon rural hospital for treatment. Some were subsequently shifted to hospitals in Pune, while others were moved to a private hospital in Manchar for further care. The report attributed the crash to the driver losing control of the vehicle; it did not provide further details about the road conditions, the precise cause of the loss of control or any official findings from an investigation.
